BulldogTom

Frozen Kahuna Tax (Maine & Hawaii) Big Khuna Tax Frozen Moose Trax Tax PUG (Professional User's Group) Tax SALYS Tax (Same As Last Year Stupid) America's Tax Xchange (CCH will love that one!) IPG (Independent Professionals Group) Tax IHTLBHACCH Tax (I Hate Those Lying Butt Heads At CCH) Tom Lodi, CA

I think there are some check boxes in the beneficiary set up that need to be looked at. Isn't there a percentage that has to be applied for it to populate the K1? Tom Lodi, CA

1. Not me 2. I disagree 3. It has to, it cannot get worse (that is like predicting the sun will rise tomorrow) Tom Lodi, CA

There is a difference between not liking something and something in very poor taste. If you want to pick on someones politics or professional knowledge or software abilities, that is none of my business. Those are things we can fight back about. I think it is in extremely poor taste to attack someones personal appearance. So I said something. I don't make the decisions about what does or does not get edited. Thanks to KC or ERC. Tom Lodi, CA

That is not cool Booger. ERC or KC, can you remove that post? Tom Lodi, CA

I think ERC is going to have a place for us to post our comments about other packages. There is a pinned message at the top of the board. I think he is planning another "room" like E-file for just those comments. I will be looking for your comments. Thanks for being willing to share. Mel, when do I get to see my new software? I want to get started on the test drive. Tom Lodi, CA

I think you have to manually enter it on line 21. Click on line 21 and see if there is a bunny on the NOL line that will link back to the NOL worksheet. Tom Lodi, CA

For you CA practice experts. I normally don't have issues with CA until after a Federal audit or amend, so this is kinda new to me. Sorry if it is very basic, but I just have not had to practice before the FTB very much, and only in limited circumstances. Please help if you can. Situation - Taxpayer says his mailbox was vandalized and he did not get a lot of mail over a 2 week period of time. Apparently, that is the time period over which the FTB sent a HOH questionaire to him. (this happens alot to male clients who claim HOH - not unusual at all). Had he gotten it and sent it in, there would be no problem. The next letter he got was an assessment of additional tax changing CA filing status to Single from HOH. He called the FTB and they said fill out the HOH questionaire, send it in with a letter, and we will take care of it. FTB sent him a letter with the questionaire and a date to reply. He did so, proof of mailing, return receipt, all that good stuff. The next letter from the FTB was a Notice of State income Tax Due. The letter starts out "The proposed assessment of tax year 2006 is now final and must be paid". I now have a POA for CA from the client. I have been looking at the appeal proceedures from the FTB website. It seems to indicate that appeals go to the BOE after all options within the FTB have been exhausted. Then a protest must be filed with the BOE within 30 days. Do any of you have a good CA practice and proceedure book or reference that I can get at a bookstore or download? Do any of you have some good advice for me on how to represent this client? I know all the rules for HOH and what I need the client to get together to prove the filing status, and we are working on that. I am looking for the best way to present to the FTB to make it go as smooth as possible. If this were an IRS inquiry, I would not be asking this. Thanks in advance for your help and input. Sorry this is so long. Tom Lodi, CA

Well I think it ought to be in Hawaii and include a demo of our new software. Tom lodi, CA

Wow. I know we live in the land of fruits and nuts, I just didn't realize all the nuts were in Sacramento. Thanks for the update. At least it is not an ATX thing. Tom Lodi, CA

No problems here. yet? Did they go to the correct address? Tom Lodi, CA

There is an old joke that goes like this - Q. How do you end up with a million bucks being a farmer? A. You start with 2 million. It is not easy being a farmer. There are many years when there are no profits and the bank owns everything. Farmers are the most optimistic people in the world. Next year is always going to produce the bumper crop and high prices. I can see how this happened. It is not that unusual. Tom Lodi, CA

Margaret, It is a "FRIKKIN" banana not a "fricking" banana. I refer you to the thread on 1/29, and especially the post by Jainen about the history of Phrygen banana wars. If this was simply a spelling mistake, I will excuse your typing. Otherwise, please keep up with the terminology used on this board so as not to offend other posters who might not understand your incorrect usage of a very important tax term. (If you are offended by this post, you must not be able to see the tongue firmly planted in my cheek.) ;o) Tom Lodi, CA

In CA, they would have only been able to take the amount they had agreed to in writing. For example, if I borrow 1,000 from my employer and sign a note promising to pay it back at $50 per week, then quit, my employer could only take $50 from my last check. If he was smart, he would write me 3 checks (past week, current week, and vacation) and get $50 from each one, but that is the most he could take from my pay. That does not mean he could not pursue other collection measures, it is just the limit on the amount he can take from my payroll. As for the TP issue, I don't think you can take any moving expense. It does not seem to fit unless he gets another job in that area. Isn't the rule 39 weeks of employment? Tom Lodi, CA

I am just throwing this out because I am interested, not because it applies to anything (or maybe it does). We know that in the year a spouse dies, survivor can still file MFJ. Can the non-minister survivor in the year of death take the same tax treatment for housing in the year of death? Here is a more specific what if - H&W filing joint for 20 years. H is minister and excluding 10K per year Housing. H dies in Jan. after recieving housing allowance for the entire year. Can W file MFJ and claim housing exclusion of 10K. I know, who has time at this time of year to think about made up crap like this? Sorry if it is stupid. Tom Lodi, CA

I think it is somewhere in the 6000 series of the code. I don't have the exact quote, but it goes something like - a taxpayer must maintain sufficient records to prove the deductions claimed on the return to the satisfaction of the Secretary. It is pretty overreaching. The check and balance to this is the right to appeal to the courts as to the sufficiency of the records to prove the deduction. So, if the Secretary says they must have a 1099 to prove the deduction to his satisfaction, then the only recourse is to go to court with your other proof. I am not at the office, so I can't look it up exactly, but I know it has a meaning like that. Tom Lodi, CA

I think it depends on if he has full, unfettered access to the funds, and if he would have to repay them if the deal fell through. Is the deal complete? I think you need a completed transaction before you recognize income. I think you are on the right track. Tom Lodi, cA

Yes, I know you would. And, it would probably be a point of view none of us would have thought of. Tom Lodi, CA

I take that jab while hanging my head in disgrace. Once again the Mighty Jainen shows his superior intellect over the humble mortals of this board. But the OP said it was a divorce decree. If it WAS a divorce decree, then they could not file MFJ, and the work would have been defective. So I am not totally incompetent, just not able to look through the internet to find the true facts before they are posted. Tom Lodi, CA

Got my letter yesterday. Dear valued customer. You think they would be able to at least put my name on it. I put it in the trash. You think they have been reading my commentary on this board and don't want me? Tom Lodi, CA

We are all getting where you are Silverbell. Frustration #1 Client that swears his mail box was vandalized, so he never got the HOH questionaire from CA. But he got the letter that they are disallowing filing status. No problem, get me you kids school records and the birth certificate and doctor records for your new baby. OH - well we used the girlfriend's address to get the daughter into a better school, and the baby is on government assistance, so I don't have doctor records showing she lives with me. What the heck am I supposed to do now? #2 Client is finalizing an audit. IRS agent has sent 3 closing letters because she keeps reviewing the workpapers and finding something else. The last one does not change the tax at all, but the agent wants another agreement. The client freaks out again, like I can make the IRS hire competent auditors. Yet, the client still has not signed the paperwork so we can wrap it up. #3 Client being audited for a early withdrawal penalty. Tax return indicated exception for being disabled. The letter comes, we submit the POA and attach the letter (already in the file) from the judge who determined client was permanantly disabled and send in the response. Client got the letter (I did not - I guess they don't like to send letters to the representative) and it is a Notice of Deficiency. No mention that they recieved our reply (yes I have the return reciept stamped by KC office), just a 90 day letter. Client thinks I screwed up because they did not just drop the case after my brilliant letter. #4 My most anal client - He brings in a 2" 3ring binder with tabs for each section and the completed tax return on top. Every item of income and expense is summarized with supporting documentation. You get the idea. I missed the penalty in CA for underpayment of estimated taxes. I did not click the box to use the short form and the amount did not transfer to his return. He owes an additional $27. He called and let me know that I messed up. I triple checked that return and still missed it. All this hits my desk on Monday. Welcome to the last week of tax season. Tom Lodi, CA

I would love to represent you at audit under that one. I could pick up a billing hour just watching the auditor laugh. Tom Lodi, CA

Wonder if they are putting that rifle in his casket. That is one of the best delivered lines in American politics. Wether you agree with him or not, the man had STYLE. Tom Lodi, CA

Is this the same attorney who wrote the divorce decree that specifies MFJ for divorced couple? I know lawyers think they are special, but now they are trying to raise the dead. Tom Lodi, CA

JB, You have the most "interesting" practice of any of us. Where do they come up with this stuff? Jennifer needs to call her attorney and let you explain the tax code to him. The attorney ought to fix the defect in HIS work for free. A divorce decree does not over rule tax law. Single at the end of the year means filing single (or HOH if qualified child). Tom Lodi, CA